Pencil attachment



No Model.) K C. 0. CLARK 86 A. J. VIGK.

V PENCIL ATTACHMENT. No. 539,352. Patented May 14, 1895.

WITNESSES: INVENZOHS K Wz. w By v Arm/mus.

cYRUS CHARL'ESOLARK AND ALBERT'JOHN VICK, on WATERLOO, WISCONSIN.

PENCIL ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,352, dated May 14,1895.

Application filed August 21, 1894. Serial 110,520,894. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OYRUs CHARLES CLARK and ALBERT JOHN VIOK, of Waterloo, in the county of Jefferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Pencil Attachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a pencil attachment, and it has for its object to provide a device capable of attachment to any lead pencil and of being expeditiously and conveniently removed when desired, the object of the attachment being to provide an envelope opener and paper knife or cutter for general use,'which when applied to apencil will in no manner be in the way, and wherein also the blade will have such relation to the pencil as to preclude the possibility of the operator injuring the hand in holding the pencil.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.-

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. I

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a pencil, illustrating the attachment applied thereto and in position for use as an envelope'opener and for ordinary use as a paper cutter. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the knife or blade as carried beyond the end of a pencil, being in position for use for opening wrappers or newspapers and other objects; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the attachment, it being in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention the attachment consists of 'a ferrule A, which is preferably open upon one side and is made of spring material in order that it may be readily clamped over or upon apencil, securely clamping the same. The said ferrule although holding closely to the pencil is capable of being adjusted longitudinally along the same, and is preferably provided with apertures 10 at opposite sides, in order that it may be more readily grasped when it is to be adjusted.

In addition to the ferrule a knife or blade B is employed. This knife or blade comprises a shank 11 and a cutting section 12, the shank the knife is over the pencil throughout its length, the free end of the knife will cling to and engage with the outer surface of the penoil to such an extent that the hand may be passed over that portion of the pencil having the attachment applied without dangerof injuring the hand in the least.

The blade or cutting section of the device is preferably provided with a point, and the said blade is likewise sharpened along each of its sides in order that it'may be-used as readily by'a left-handed as by a right-handed person.

1n the operation of the device, when it is wholly supported by the pencil as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a corner of the envelope to be opened, for example, is passed under the arch 13 of the shank and slidtoward the point of the blade, the pencil being slightly tilted to permit the blade to enter the envelope or to pass under the flap. Continuing to hold the pencil in thisposition the envelope is cut open for its entire length through the medium of one of the side surfaces of the blade. When the pencil attachment is in this position it may be used for all ordinary paper cutting.

In order to open newspaper wrappers and like articles, the device is slid along toward one end of the pencil until the blade is extended beyond said end the requisite length. The blade in this position can be used to open any wrapper without injuring the paper inclosed, and can likewise be employed for sharpening pencils, for light erasing work, or it may be used for any purpose to which a knife blade may be applied.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As an improved article of manufacture, a pencil attachment comprising the ferrule like clasp A having finger openings in its opposite sides and the elongated spring knife B having a shank 11 secured on the outer side of the clasp, and an outwardly bowed portion 13 pertachment is applied thereto, substantially as described.

CYRUS CHARLES CLARK. ALBERT JOHN VICK. Witnesses:

CHAS. B. WRIGHT,

L. A. WILLIAMS. 

